Maestro! (マエストロ！)

Ioften dream of nothing but music.

My father's violin-playing which I grew up with...

those melodies seemed to have come right from Heaven.

"We regret to inform you that we will not be able to..."

"offeryou a position with the Munich Symphony Orchestra."

Maestro!

"Factory for sale, Kumai Real Estate"

- Hi. - How have you been, Imaizumi?

Thank you.

I'm really glad you came, Kosaka.

Sorry about Munich.

- It's such a shame. - It's no big deal.

Is there any place where we can rehearse around here?

It's right over here.

They wouldn't even get a decent rehearsal hall?

No money, I guess.

And here I was, all excited about us getting back together.

It has been six months...

since the long-standing Central Symphony Orchestra...

was disbanded due to the recession.

Most of our best players...

have been poached by other local and foreign orchestras.

Some gave up music and chose a different path.

But suddenly came the news that our orchestra would get back together...

"Conductor: Tendo Tetsusaburo Tokyo Opera Palace, 19-20 April"

with the remaining members to prepare for a concert to be held one month later.

There are a few who came uninvited too.

Like Icchoda who quit because of facial paralysis...

and Murakami who retired last year.

It's probably because we're short-handed.

Well, a lot of people have been poached by other orchestras.

Nevertheless, it's reassuring that our concertmaster is still with us.

Don't you agree?

- Good moming. - Good moming.

It has been a long time.

Excuse me.

Kosaka.

Have you ever heard of this conductor called Tendo Tetsusaburo?

I'm afraid not.

A second-class or third-class conductor, perhaps?

- Orworse, he could be an amateur. - I really hope not.

We'll play our music regardless of who he may be.

Remember that last guy?

You mean the conductorwe had last year?

It was hard not to laugh.

I had to look away after three seconds.

I looked at Kosaka's bow instead.

But the actual performance was a blast.

In any case, we have to put on a good show for the audience.

Well, the conductor takes all the credit when everything goes well.

The musicians get blamed if anything goes wrong.

The conductor is the common enemy of all orchestra members.

You're as straightforward as ever.

He can dance on the podium for all he wants to.

As long as he stays out of our hair.

Kosaka, it's past two o'clock.

Let's get started.

But we can't start without the conductor. He's not here yet.

Is everyone here?

The second flute's not here yet.

You should know who's supposed to be here.

Regardless of how skilful I am, I can't play two flutes simultaneously.

Flute? That's me!

That's me...

- Who is this girl? - I don't know her.

Is everyone a professional?

Yes. Aren't you?

Oh, crap.

I'm playing among professionals?

An amateur?

Nice to meet you!

Is everyone present?

Over there! Knock it off!

- Good moming. - Good moming.

I never dreamt that we'd all be together making music again.

Let's give our best for the concert.

For the concert, we'll be performing...

Beethoven's "Symphony Number Five" and Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony."

We've performed these pieces hundreds of times...

so this should be a piece of cake for us.

Let's begin then.

No...

Well, what can I expect from these players?

There's no vibe in the music all.

Fools, numpties!

This is terrible.

Are you people idiots?

Stop!

We're rehearsing. Be quiet!

What? You call this a rehearsal?

I thought...

you guys were trying to see how much noise pollution you can produce.

I'll thank you not to put me through anymore of that.

The music was flat...

with zero impact.

It sounded like a lame willy that couldn't get erect.

And who the heck are you?

Me?

I am...

Tendo Tetsusaburo.

Tendo?

Listen, this is a duel between us.

Let's see who draws his pistol first.

Take that!

Idiots!

You'd all be dead by now if this were a real pistol.

The Fifth...

doesn't start like this.

Instead, it should start like this.

It begins with an eighth rest.

Even the best conductors have trouble getting an orchestra to do this together.

Players often tend to take their cue from the concertmaster.

Where are you guys looking?

What can this kid over here teach you about Beethoven?

Watch the baton!

Looking at the baton won't help.

And that's no baton.

Keep quiet, old woman.

"Old woman"?

A real baton would be wasted on you lot.

Now!

Violins.

Who's playing the D string?

Ishino and Murakami, please play on the G string instead.

Yes.

You're the concertmaster...

and you can't even hold your own section together?

Perhaps you're not aware of this...

but Kosaka is the youngest concertmaster in the history of our orchestra.

Yeah?

That explains a lot.

The reunion of this orchestra must be no mean feat.

Well, I'm not impressed.

I'm standing on this podium...

to shape this orchestra into one...

that eams its keep by the next concert.

Like I said...

this is a duel!

Get ready.

We sounded awesome!

Where did that come from?

Not good enough.

Again.

What?

Stop...!

You're not playing music.

You're simply playing each note blindly...

and dragging them along to the painful end.

Rehearsal's overfor today.

Hell, I'm exhausted.

Stand up to him, Concertmaster.

We can't let him ride roughshod over us.

I know.

Who on earth is this Tendo Tetsusaburo anyway?

Where did he come from?

Probably just a nobody.

He made us play the opening for four hours straight.

Man, he's stubbom. He's going to be such a pain.

He's like some school music teacher

who got his hands on a professional orchestra.

But he's definitely no amateur.

In any case, we're the ones playing the music ultimately.

Great work, everyone!

I had a great time today. See you!

Kosaka.

Who organized this?

Beats me.

Our administration office was closed down months ago.

But they are reforming our orchestra, aren't they?

Who called everyone?

I received the call from a woman who spoke in Kinki dialect.

Me too.

"Manpuku"

Gramps asked if I was interested to work part-time for him...

so I called everyone up.

The Central Symphony Orchestra is famous, isn't it?

We're relatively well-known, but only in Japan.

All our best players have been poached by the other orchestras...

and we're what's left behind.

We sounded pretty thin.

It's only the first day of rehearsals.

But I think our opening was quite spectacular.

No, it should go like this.

Four hours, and that's all we got done.

But that's the heart and soul of the Fifth.

Who is that guy, anyway? How did you meet him?

He scouted me when I was having my meal in a restaurant like this.

Girl.

Howwould you like to play the flute in my orchestra?

Just like that?

Without an audition?

You weren't creeped out?

I don't know, but somehow...

he seemed like the real thing.

I heard that a person...

with a high arched palate can play the flute better.

A high arched palate?

The roof of your mouth.

Listen. Do you hear that resonance?

So you think Tendo heard that and scouted her?